An Ash By Any Other Name
by Mister Gone
Summary: Ash is badly injured in battle and his friends must face a shocking truth. Is this the end of Ash and company?


**AN ASH BY ANY OTHER NAME**

"Pikachu! Use thundershock now!"

"Pika!" Pikachu replied and an electric yellow scar of lightning raced across the open field towards the growling beast.

Pikachu's target was a hunched ball of stone. The tortoise like head on the front of it's body cocked to the side, anticipating the electric mouse's attack. It leapt deftly to the side as the million-volt-missile impacted a boulder behind it, leaving a light orange glow of semi-liquid rock.

"You're lucky we found this clearing, Ash. That Golem was using the trees for cover!" Brock yelled.

Ash acknowledged his friends comment with a simple nod. Brock was one of the best rock-type trainers he had ever met, but Ash was focused on the fight. A new Pokemon, another chance to prove himself, to them, to her, to everyone.

"Great job Pikachu!" Misty cheered, "His attacks are so strong, Ash. Even against rock-types."

A bush shook slightly, so slightly in fact that none of the three trainers noticed, and three pairs of binoculars peered through.

"Look at that James! He actually melted that rock!" Jesse shivered at the thought of all that power, and the reward the boss would bestow for such a rare Pokemon.

Meowth shot a glare at the giggling Jesse. "You better shut your trap or we'll be on the receiving end of one of those shocks."

"Oh Meowth, you talk a good game but you never seem to pay up. You're worth less than that coin lodged in your forehead." James postured.

Jesse joined in, "He's just mad that that marker-toting Jigglypuff got the jump on him again."

"You're so cute when you sleep Meowth." James teased. "Why don't you tell us what it wrote on your hand? Was it a love note?"

"Oh Jigglypuff, I love you so much." Jesse and James mocked, acting out a kissing Meowth and Jigglypuff. With lightning speed thin scratches appeared on their faces. The pair rolled back clutching their wounds, cursing.

"Now, maybe that'll teach you to keep quiet." Meowth said smugly and turned back to the battle.

The enraged Golem rushed towards Pikachu. It's footfalls shaking the ground, but Ash's commands galvanized the tiny combatant.

"Dodge now Pikachu!" Ash called.

Pikachu sidestepped his oncoming opponent and the Golem struck a large fir, splitting the tree in two.

Ash could taste the victory, and the capture. "Now use quick attack!"

A flurry of scratches, bites, kicks, and headbutts overwhelmed the stone monster. It stumbled back and leaned on a tree.

Pikachu began charging before Ash could even speak. "Finish him off with Thunder!" Ash cried, an empty Pokeball at the ready.

Team rocket had their Pokeball ready too.

"Okay James, just like we planned. Throw that Masterball as soon as the runt throws his. Pikachu should be pretty tired after that fight. Easy pickings." Jesse could barely contain her excitement.

The air crackled around Pikachu. Small arcs of electricity jumped off his red cheeks.

"Pika." The charge collected in front of Pikachu, drawing in bits of ambient energy. "Chu!"

With that, a writhing gout of lightning broke free of Pikachu's control. The pressure wave that preceded Pikachu's massive attack triggered the Golem's defense mechanism. It withdrew it's limbs and head into it's stony shell, dropped to the ground and out of the way of the oncoming mass of electricity.

The tree behind the rock beast didn't so much explode as it just ceased to be, while hunks of burning wood came into existence in a roughly 70 yard radius around it.

Jesse and James shielded their eyes. Brock and Misty fell to the ground. Pikachu silently cursed his miscalculation. Only Meowth saw the worst.

Meowth turned and caught a sun beam passing through the canopy with his coin and flashed a signal to the distant woods. "I knew it, I knew this would happen some day." Meowth panicked.

"Wow! That was a heck of a blast." Brock said brushing himself off. He caught a glimpse of the Golem running off into the woods, the back of it's shell smoking lightly. "That was close Ash, you almost…" Brock stood is stunned silence.

Misty rubbed her sore rump and walked over to Brock. "What in the world was that? Brock what happened?" Then she saw, and in the smallest voice she whispered. "Oh no, Ash."

Pickachu, sighed. It wasn't the first time he had lost. Though it never tasted any better, Pikachu knew to let the bitterness go and that Ash would greet him with open arms no matter what. He spun on one heel, displaying bravado so his master, his friend, wouldn't worry. "Pika… chu?" His voice dropped out along with his stomach.

Ash lay on the ground, a chunk of charred timber the size of his arm lodged through his thigh. A steady stream of blood trickled down his leg and pooled on the compacted dirt.

"He's hurt bad Misty." Brock didn't know what to do.

"What's wrong with him, with his face?" Misty shrieked

As Ash fluttered between consciousness and unconsciousness his features seemed to soften, then focus, the color of his cloths muted then regained their sharpness.

Brock stood and frantically looked around. "We need to get him to a hospital!"

"We need to get him to a Poke-Center!" The trainers spun to see Meowth jump out from behind a nearby bush.

"Meowth? What are you doing here?" Misty demanded.

"Oh come on girly, when are we not following you guys?" Meowth ran to Ash and inspected his wounds. "I have to take him."

Brock stood in front of the small cat Pokemon. "Over my dead body. Why? So you can sell him to your boss?"

"Look rock for brains, if we stand here much longer it's going to be over his dead body, now move it or lose it!" Meowth bared his fangs and hissed.

Brock instinctively reached for his number one Pokeball. Meowth crawled under Ash's body and with surprising strength leapt under it's full weight and vaulted off Brock's head.

"Onyx! Stop him!" Brock ordered as he tossed his ball.

The huge serpentine of stone appeared in front of Meowth. "Onyx!" it roared

"Sorry big guy, but I have no time for you!" Meowth's eyes began to glow as he rushed the giant Onyx. "Hyper-Beam!"

The particle beam issued from Meowth's mouth struck Onyx and despite his immense size, Onyx was thrown to the side. Meowth's whole body then began to glow and he sped through the trees leaving only a faint trail of light behind him.

Misty stood, stifling tears. "Was that a Hyper-Beam? And since when could Meowth move that fast?"

Brock steadied himself and recalled Onyx. "No Meowth can use Hyper Beam, and I've never seen a Pokemon move that fast on land. We need to head to Ochre Village. It's the nearest place with a Poke Center and I have a feeling that's where he was headed."

As Brock and Misty set off for Ochre Village, light snoring rose from behind a bush. Jesse and James lay asleep. Their faces covered in doodles.

* * *

The doors of the Poke-Center flew open as Meowth skidded to a halt in the lobby.

"Now hold on there." Nurse Joy started but stopped abruptly when she saw the patient.

"I'm sorry." The startled nurse approached the wild eyed Meowth. "We don't treat people here, we have to get this boy to a hospital."

"Look toots." Meowth growled. "Either you get this kid on a table or you're the one who's gonna need a hospital. So shut your pretty little yapper and set him up with a hyper potion drip. I have a call to make."

Nurse Joy did as the panicked cat said while Meowth jumped up to the communications terminal. The video screen sprang to life.

"Professor Oak here. How can I? Meowth!" The scientist could not believe his monitor. "What does team rocket want with me." Oak continued nervously.

"It's Ash, professor. He got hurt in a duel. It's pretty bad, femoral artery I think." Meowth was relieved to be talking to someone that could actually help.

Nurse Joy peeked meekly through a crack in the treatment area door. "He seems to responding to the potion, but he's lost an awful lot of blood. I've done what I can to stop the bleeding but." Joy took a deep breath "I had to alert the authorities."

Meowth turned, eyes glowing, and hissed. Nurse Joy made a small terrified noise and ducked back behind the doors.

"Meowth!" Professor Oak snapped "She's just following protocol. I'll have 413 intercept. Did any of Ash's friends see what happened?"

Meowth nodded somberly "Yeah, but I don't think they made any kind of connection. I took off pretty fast."

"Still," Oak slid on his lab coat. "His friends are pretty resourceful, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they find their way there. I'm on my way."

* * *

Pikachu walked slowly through the forest. The others had left in such a hurry, they didn't notice Pikachu moves quietly into the underbrush.

"What have I done?" Pikachu's mind raced. His best friend, his brother, his master, lay at death's door and why? Because if his lack of control. Pikachu wrestled with the image in his head. He has seen so many opponents fall, he had handed out so much pain to his fellow Pokemon but never before had it dawned on him how much agony he had caused. Not until he saw Ash laying mortally wounded by his lightning. Pikachu shook the tears from his eyes and ran deeper into the woods.

"Is this my purpose?" He thought. Never before had he met another Pikachu as strong as he was. "Am I some sort of demon Pokemon?" He dismissed the thought from his mind. Almost all the other Pokemon he had known have been fighters. What made him different? When he was a wild Pokemon he… Then, an epiphany. Pikachu stopped and thought hard. Gazed through the canopy and realized. He had forgotten what it was to be free.

His eyes darted through the trees. The entire time he had been walking and thinking, crowds of Pokemon had passed. He watched the spray from a gang of Squirtles glitter in the sun. Puffs of dirt rose along a line of Dugtrio as they made their way through the Earth. A flock of Pidgey flew through the high branches as Caterpie ducked into small holes to avoid them.

Pikachu inhaled and all the scents of the forest were there in an instant. In fact one smell was unique. He sniffed and crawled. He tested the air and approached a small bush. He leapt to the other side and there, cowering, was another Pikachu. She was much smaller than Pikachu and she was injured. Pikachu moved closer to lick the scratch marks on her flanks. He stood up and examined the slashes and even worse, the burns.

"Who did this?" Pikachu asked. The small one would not respond. As if to answer his question a pack of wild Pikachu erupted from a hedgerow nearby. Electricity arced between them and fresh blood stained their yellow fur. The pack growled and separated as a huge Raichu rose in their midst. Pikachu growled.

* * *

"Huh, usually waking up after getting shocked like that hurts more." James said with a yawn.

"My skirt isn't even singed this time James." Jesse added glancing over at James. "If I didn't know better I'd say that little rat Meowth had his Jigglypuff girlfriend knock us out."

"Why would you think that Jesse?" James stood brushing an errant leaf from his vest.

Jesse stifled a laugh. "Because usually he is the first to start complaining about a failed plan and according to your forehead you have an unusual affinity for Ponyta droppings."

James looked to Jesse furiously, but then cracked into a smile. "Well Jesse dear. I certainly hope that is a poorly drawn Digglet on your cheek. If not, someone has been reading your diary." James could not contain his laughter any longer and continued to chuckle even as Jesse pummeled him.

* * *

Professor Beech had never been much when it came to anatomy. The idea of rooting around in the until recently moving and pulsing organs of another living thing made his skin crawl, so the sight of a blood soaked operating table with an unconscious child clinging to life was almost too much to bear.

"Beech!" Nurse Joy snapped. "He's bleeding through his dressings. Get that tray over here. I swear I should pull the Slowbro out of the ICU to help me, he'd certainly be quicker."

Professor Beech walked the tray of surgical supplies over to the bedside. He kept his eyes focused on the base of Nurse Joy's skull, letting his rage force out his nervousness and fear. "Your supplies, heir doctor." Beech said with a grimace.

Nurse Joy glared back. "You do know that all this goes down in my report to the Pokemon Scientific Guild. You'll be lucky to keep your license much less get your Poke-Center accreditation with the attitude you've shown me. Now if you don't mind I have to save this boy's life, go wait for Officer Jenny in the lobby please."

With a sarcastic bow Professor Beech walked out of the ER.

"Self righteous cow." Beech muttered. "I swear the sooner I can start hocking these rare Pokemon the better."

Beech entered the lobby and saw Officer Jenny speaking to a Meowth.

"I didn't know you spoke Meowth, beautiful." Beach attempted to flirt.

"And I didn't know humans could smell like Grimer. Hit the road, we're talking here." Meowth countered.

Beech grumbled and Meowth snapped out his claws. A flash of lightning and crack of thunder silhouetted the feline.

"Joy asked me to meet you to discuss possible police action against this little runt." Beech shot Meowth a look.

Jenny closed her ticket book sharply "I have already interviewed Meowth and if anything he should be recommended for a medal. He saved that boys life. Now if you excuse me I have other business to attend to."

Officer Jenny spun on one heel and walked quickly out the front door. Professor Beach walked nervously from Meowth.

The cat Pokemon watched Jenny leave, his mind swimming, oblivious the slinking Professor.

* * *

The pair were silent as they trudged through the forest. Brock hadn't changed his expression since he watched Meowth disappear into the forest. Misty was unsure if she should cry or scream.

Finally Misty broke the silence. "Do you think he's okay? What do you think Meowth did with him?"

Brock didn't speak.

Misty watched the leaves slough to the side as she walked through them. "I never told him Brock. I never told him how I felt."

Brock stopped so abruptly that Misty almost ran into his back. He turned and held her shoulders. "Misty," Brock smiled. "He had to know, and he will know. We are going to find him."

Brock stood back and pulled out his number one ball. "Onyx! We need to get some where in a hurry!"

The ball issued a beam of light and the titanic rock snake bellowed. "Onyx!"

Brock leapt onto Onyx's back and lowered a hand to Misty. "Hop on, Onyx will get us there twice as fast. Ash would never give up on us, we can't let him down."

Misty pulled herself up and the trio raced through the trees as lightning struck in the distance.

* * *

"Raichu!" The enormous electric rat challenged Pikachu.

Pikachu carefully gauged the amount of electricity building in his opponent. It was meager, pitiful. Pikachu was weighing the descision to take the hit, or just suck the power straight from the pompous rodent.

Before he could decide the Raichu released his attack. The bolt missed Pikachu cleanly. Pikachu scoffed. Then he saw the Raichu smile, and smelled the charred fur. He spun around as the Raichu and his pack chuckled.

The small female lay in a patch of burnt grass. The attack was too pathetic to register for Pikachu, but the weaker Pokemon could take no more. She wasn't moving. Pikachu placed his paws on her.

"Chu" he whispered and the smallest amount of electricity flowed into her tiny body. She shuddered.

"Chu" Pikachu whispered louder and the little body shook. The Raichu stopped laughing, and his crew each took a step back.

"Pika" The energy gathered. "Chu!" The tiny body began to smoke. Each member of the Raichu gang twitched, and found themselves paralyzed.

"Is this what it is to be wild?" Pikachu thought.

"Pika!" lightning arced through the trees. "Chu!" the fur on the corpse began to spark and burn away in spots. The gang of Pikachu and the Raichu seized, a few began to foam.

"Killing an innocent for no reason? Is gladitorial combat is the only civil way we can live?" Pikachu's mind was a blur.

"Rai-chu!" the leader pleaded.

Pikachu turned slowly. The vapor of the smaller female's body swirled around the enraged Pokemon.

With teeth clenched, a single word escaped, simply a small noise to human ears, but to the cowering wild Pikachu, the last thing they heard was "Die!"

A column of white hot energy engulfed Pikachu and the entire mob.

As the smoke that was formerly a dozen Pokemon cleared, Pikachu stood in the glass crater and listened to the symphony of micro fractures crackle around him.

He was tired of being wild, he needed his friends.

He heard a low rumble, heard the call of an all too familiar Onyx and rushed off into the dense woods.

* * *

Jenny buzzed down the road, her scooter zipping around every corner.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up." She begged her phone.

"Oak here." Her mobile sprang to life.

"Professor, it's Jenny 413, I just spoke to Meowth." Jenny started calmly.

"How is Ash?" Oak asked worried.

"Meowth said they have stopped the bleeding for the most part and the hyper potions are helping but he's not improving." Jenny was becoming agitated.

Professor Oak did his best to calm her. "Calm down my girl, I didn't raise you to lose your head during trouble. "

Jenny smiled "Thanks Dad, you always know the right thing to say to bring me back to.. Onyx!"

The huge stone serpent nearly crushed the police woman on and her scooter.

Brock, who usually never passed up the opportunity to flirt with a pretty girl, didn't seem to acknowledge the downed Jenny at all. His face shared the stone determination of his mount. The most Misty could do between holding on for her life and dodging low branches was shout a trailing "Sorry" to the frightened officer.

"Onyx? 413 are you alright? Jenny! Are you there Jenny?" Oak pleaded over the phone.

"I'm here Professor." Jenny righted her scooter and prepared to give chase. "It was Brock and Misty, heading for the Poke-Center. I can catch them in no time."

"No, Jenny." The Professor said calmly. "Let them go. I need you to gather your sisters, 400 through 420."

"But Professor!" Jenny began to protest.

"Jenny, you and your sisters were raised to protect the public peace. If word gets out about Ash, well, I hate to imagine the type of scum that will descend on that village. I need you girls there to make sure this stays a secret, and if worse comes to worse, protect Ash and his friends. Understood?" The urgency in Oak's voice removed all doubt from Jenny's mind.

"Of course. I love you Dad." Jenny hopped back on her scooter.

"I love you too sweetheart." Professor Oak disconnected.

* * *

The large cat-headed balloon floated lazily over the tree tops. As the basket turned a slightly burning hole could be seen up the side.

"That was a little more like what I'm used to." James sighed, wiping the last bit of marker from his face.

"At least you didn't get cooked." Jesse fumed, inspecting the singed edges of the newly added slit up her skirt. "When I get my hands on Meowth he's going to." Jesse trailed off into undistiguishable cursing as she tried to repair her uniform.

James leaned against the edge of the basket, passing a blinking box back and forth. "It's a good thing we had that tracking chip installed in Meowth's coin or he'd probably get away with this.

The box began to click rapidly.

"Ochre Village!" James said triumphantly, switching off the device. "We can scope out the Poke-Center for easy pickings and then find that traitor."

"And maybe a tailor while we are at it." Jesse added miserably.

* * *

"Onyx return!" Brock commanded and the giant Pokemon returned to his impossibly small home.

Brock and Misty made their way inside. Nurse Joy met them in the lobby. "We've been expecting you."

Meowth sheepishly stepped from behind the gentle nurse.

"Meowth!" Misty shrieked. She pulled out 3 Pokeballs in each hand and prepared her assault.

"Stop!" Joy shouted stomping her foot. "This is a Poke-Center, not an arena. This is where Pokemon come to heal not to be hurt. Now come with me, your friend needs you."

Joy stormed off towards the Emergency Room. Professor Beech peered from around the corner, eyeing the wealth of Pokeballs the new arrivals were carrying.

"Here he is." Joy said solumly as she lead them to Ash's bedside.

"He's so pale." Misty did her best not to cry "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm not sure, I have never treated a human injury this severe." Joy shook her head. "I gave him some Hyper Potion like Meowth said and he seemed to respond, but his wound just won't stop bleeding. I think I have it shored up, then a few minutes later he has bled through his bandages."

Brock turned on Meowth. "How did you know that potion would work? Why did it work? I don't care how tough you really are Meowth, I will beat you my own hands if I have to."

"Please don't blame Meowth." Everyone turned to the door as Professor Oak walked in. "He has had it tougher than any of you could know."

Meowth stood watch outside the door, peeking in every few seconds. Professor Oak walked over to look at Ash. He reached slowly into his lab coat and pulled out a light yellow Pokeball with pink wings from bottom to top.

"This is a Heal Ball, and what you are about to see is only being shared because everyone in this room has meant so much to Ash." With that Professor Oak dropped the ball on the table next to Ash.

The ball split open and light enveloped Ash's body. Then he demateriliazed into the ball and the red light on the front blinked then shown solid.

The room stood with mouths agape.

Brock stood and spoke "If these means what I think it means, then Ash is a…"

* * *

"Pokemon?" Jesse sat on the ground below the widow of the ER.

"I can't believe it." James shook his head. "The whole time we were following the rarest Pokemon in the world."

"What? The "Ash" Pokemon?" Jesse asked.

James spoke as carefully as he thought "Isn't it obvious? He's …"

* * *

"A Ditto to be precise." Oak carefully held the Heal Ball in front of him. "A Ditto who has perfectly mimicked someone who was once a real boy."

Misty fainted. Brock darted to catch her and laid her gently on the floor. Brock shook the confusion from his mind, only to have it flooded again. "Maybe you should start at the beginning. I will assume your name is actually Professor Oak."

Oak sighed and sat down. "11 years ago I was a researcher much as I am today. I worked with unique Pokemon: the talking Meowth, the artistic Jigglypuff, water loving Pikachu, abbarations. No offence." Oak nodded to Meowth.

From outside the room, Meowth huffed. "None taken."

"Ash's mother was a close friend of mine, we were all so happy to see Ash go off on his Pokemon adventure. His father was waiting in Peuter city to teach him all he could about being the best. It was a short adventure. Ash was stung by a Weedle only a few hours from home, a fatal dose. His mother had followed the trail to bring him the running shoes he had forgotten, only to find him on death's door. They brought him home. His mother's Ditto changed into different Pokemon to attempt to cure the boy. Nothing worked. Ash Ketchum died 11 years ago. The only thing the Ditto could do is act as a pillow." Professor Oak sighed and looked out the window. "If anyone took Ash's death worse than his Mother, it was her Ditto. His father put himself into excile as punishment for not protecting his son. For months Ash's mother was inconsolable. She wouldn't leave the house. Then one day she was walking down the street, smile on her face, pushing a baby carrage. The town's people thought she had gone mad, but when I stopped her I was as shocked as you are now. There, in the blankets was a baby. Ash. It didn't take me long to realize that the infant Ash was in fact, his Mother's Ditto."

* * *

"Pika" Pikachu said softly looking through the ER window, twitching in shock. This whole time his best friend, his master, his brother, was a Pokemon just like him. He was taking orders from a house pet. He shook his head and blinked the tears from his eyes.

"Pika" he murmered as he sat on the ground.

Team Rocket stood petrified.

"Why isn't he shocking us?" Jesse whimpered.

"I don't know." James squeeked "Maybe he's thinking of something worse."

Pikachu looked over at Team Rocket. "Pika?"

"Nothing." Said James "What are you doing?"

"Pika- pika- Pikachu." Pikachu sniffed.

Jesse knodded. "It is an awful lot to take it at once I know."

Pikachu took a deep breath, and Jesse and James prepared for the worst. "Pika? Pika pi? Pika pika pika chu pika pika! Pika pika pi, chu pika chu pika pika pika! Pika-piiiiii! Pikaaaaaaaaa!"

Pikachu beat his little fists against James' leg and wept. James awkwardly patted Pikachu's head.

"No one could have seen this coming, it's not your fault at all. He's still your friend, why does it matter if he's a Pokemon?" James did his best to console the weeping mouse.

Pikachu, inhaled sharply a few times. "Pika-ah-ah, Pika pika pika chu." And forced a weak smile.

""Won't be after you anymore! What would give you a silly idea like that?" Jesse smiled slyly

Pikachu looked shocked "Pika! Pikachu."

Jesse laughed "Of course we are still going to try and catch you."

"He may be rarer than you," James chimed in, "but kidnapping a boy would raise far too much attention. But you, Ash loves you. You are his best friend in the world. He would follow you into the darkest and most dangerous depths of Team Rocket headquarters if it was to keep you safe. We catch you, and Ash comes as the world's best bonus."

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu threatened, sparks forming at his cheeks.

"Why would we tell anyone he is a Ditto. If everyone knows about it, they will all want him." James winked. "Come on Jesse. I bet there is a great haul of rare Pokeballs inside. Do you still have that Nurse Joy costume?"

"Of course, but I am wearing it this time." Jesse leaned and kissed Pikachu on the head. "This is only a temporary truce. We could only wish to have friends like Ash. Don't give him up."

Jesse and James ran around the corner and out of site.

Pikachu sighed, smile, and made his way to the front door.

* * *

Misty hand gotten off the floor and sat down. Meowth brought her a cup of tea with a cold compress.

Oak continued. "11 years passed and Ash's mother raised him like her own son. As the years passed the Ditto remembered less and less of his time as a Pokemon and eventually forgot he had ever been anything other than Ash Ketchum. I kept the secret knowing that there would be a time when Ash would leave on his Pokemon adventure. His mother begged me to convince him not to go. I devised the Pokedex project a few years before as a method to feed information about the genetically unique Pokemon back to my lab. It was about that time Meowth volunteered to infiltrate the budding Team Rocket as a spy. I modified a unit to be carried by Ash to act as a tracking device, and asked Meowth to keep an eye on him. I had found a hyper intelligent Pikachu that I knew would keep Ash safe on his journey. With those measures in place his mother relented."

"Pika" Pikachu walked into the room, smiled and sat with Misty and Brock.

Professor Oak, Sat down and Meowth jumped on his lap. "Not a day goes by where I don't wonder if we did the right thing, but seeing the friends Ash has in you. Well it put's my mind at ease."

Slowly a grinding noise drew everyone's attention to the door. A Pokeball rolled into the center of the room.

"That's a Snorlax's Ball! Nurse Joy shouted in panic. The ball opened and the Snorlax's girth pressed everyone against the wall.

Brock gasped. "Team Rocket?"

A few minutes passed, Brock, Misty and Pikachu passed out. Meowth was trapped under the up-turned bed. Joy had been knocked out the window and Professor Oak had a broken leg.

"Return." Professor Beech commanded. "Well well well. If it isn't Professor Oak."

"Beech! You back stabbing…" Oak began but Beech stood on his freshly broken leg.

Beech leaned down and plucked the Heal Ball from Oak's hand. "Amazing, all this time I had been searching for rare Pokemon to sell before you had a chance to coddle them, and you bring me the rarest Pokemon in the world. What luck."

Beech walked from the room leaving the cursing Professor Oak behind him. Professor Beech hurried down the hall towards a near by stairwell, tossing the priceless ball into the air.

Nurse Joy turned the corner and ran head long into Beech.

Beech found new confidence with his new life of crime. "Well, if it isn't Nurse Pain-in-my-butt. I'm not sure how you got of that room, but I do know that a hostage sure would come in handy."

Nurse Joy stood up. "Oh no what ever shall I do."

As Beech approached Nurse Joy planted a kick directly to his groin. The Professor crumpled to the ground and dropped the Heal-Ball which rolled across the floor.

Joy crouched to the whimpering Beech. "You're obviously new to this game so we'll explain a few things to you.

James rounded the corner with the Heal-Ball in his hand, scanning it with a handheld device. "You really should be more careful with your Pokemon with such nefarious types lurking around. "

Nurse Joy stood and removed he wig, revealing Jesse of Team Rocket. "Seems you may be a little better suited to the lab."

"We'll be more than happy to releive you of your." James paused and looked to Jesse. "Your Ditto."

Jesse sighed. "Well you certainly have surpassed us on the slime ball scale." Giving Beech a kick in the head, knocking him out.. "Come on James, time for that irritating nobility of ours to make an appearance."

The pair ran down the hall and began their trademark entrance poem as they burst into the ER.

* * *

Meowth sighed and closed the stairwell door fully. His claws, which had been extended to their full 4 feet length retracted. He knew what he would have had to do if Team Rocket hadn't turned the Pokeball over to Oak. He was glad he didn't have to kill them. The closest things to friends he had known over the last few years.

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!" Team Rocket finished from down the hall.

"That's right." Meowth finished quietly, with a grin.

* * *

Beech came to. He could hear a scuffle from the ER. It sounded like Team Rocket was in the process of loosing that precious Pokeball.

"Damn!" Beech hissed as he crawled to the stairwell door.

He forced the door open and headed for the stairs and freedom.

"Not so fast my good professor." Meowth stood between Beech and his escape route.

Beech was seething. "Look you little monster. I am leaving and I will be back with an army of scientists and a platoon of researches all ready to hail me as the genius that discovered the human analog Ditto. I'm not above stomping a few of you lothsome little pocket monsters to get to where I'm going. Now step aside or I'll have to do something you'll really regret."

Beech lunged at the little cat. Meowth leapt into the air and planted both feet directly onto the professor's forehead and kicked off. Beech flew back against the wall and fell, stunned.

"Regret huh?" Meowth said calmly as he landed. "Let me tell you what I know about regret. 5 years ago if you told me some of the things I was destined to do, I would have called you a liar. Infiltrating a den of thieves requires one to be a very good actor. You have to do things you'd never normally do to avoid suspicion. I've lied, I've cheated and I've stolen. I've hurt people Beech. I tortured a Chansey to death once just because they make better eggs when they're scared."

Meowth felt the weight of the pistol behind his back.

Beech began to get up. Meowth lept onto his chest. "I've done so many this I regret Professor. What's a couple more?"

Brock, Misty, Professor Oak and the others never heard the gunshot down the hall. Team Rocket had made such a commotion before they were ejected that no one could have possibly heard Meowth clawing and chewing, hiding a body and adding one more sin to his tally.

* * *

"Looks like we're blasting off again!" Team Rocket flew out the window, propelled by Onyx's powerful tail and a parting shock from Pikachu.

Misty recalled her Staryu. "Why is it that those two always seem to turn up at the worst opportunities?"

Oak examined the Heal-Ball for damage. "At least they had the Heal-Ball with them. I wonder how they go it from Professor Beech."

"No honor among thieves, Professor." Brock replaced Onyx's Pokeball on his belt. "Team Rocket probably put him up to it. He's bound to be long gone by now."

Nurse Joy worked with her Chansey getting the ER back into a functioning stated as Brock and Misty spoke to Professor Oak.

"Take him to the nearest hospital to release him. He should regain consciousness as soon as he's out. Just tell him he was hurt during the battle and you brought him to the hospital. Office Jenny will be there to help if the staff has any questions." Oak put his hands on the shaken kids shoulders. "I can't promise things will be the same. I leave it to you to decide how you handle this. Just know that Pokemon or not, the friendship you created with Ash is as real as with any other person. Just remember that he loves you like his family."

Brock stared at the Pokeball in his hand, almost crushed by the weight of the secret it contained.

"Let's go get Ash back." Misty winked, standing by the door.

The two walked out side leaving Pikachu and Oak in the shattered hospital room.

Pikachu turned to Oak. "You should have told me Professor."

Pikachu ran after Brock and Misty.

"I know." Oak shook his head. "I know."

The End


End file.
